Improvement in wheels for vehicles



I wheels for Vehi cccc s.

Hi HW JEROME F. DOVVNING AND WELLINGTON DOWNING, OF ERIE, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHEELS FOR VHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,701, dated February11, 1873.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JEROME F. DowNING and WELLINGTON DowNrNe, of Erie,county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements, new and useful, in Wheels for Carriages and otherVehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

The chief feature of our invention consists in the manner of mortisingthe hub, which is of wood, the peouliar formation of the tenons of thespokes, and the means of securing the same firmlyin the hub. The mainobject sought to be accomplished is the dovetailing together of thespoke-tenons and the hub. To this end the hub-a longitudinal section ofwhich is shown at B, Fig. 1, and also at Bl, Fig. 2-is mortised so thatthe narrow sides of the mortises opposite the ends of the hub areslanted or inclined in the same direction, while at the same time theyare made to converge slightly in the 'direction of the center of thehub, as shown at O, Fig. 1. The inclination or slant of one of the saidnarrow sides of each mortise is made to conform to the angle or bevel ofthe corresponding side of the spoke-tenon A, so as to form a close jointwith the same throughout its entire length, when the parts are unitedtogether, as shown at D D, Fig. 1, and at Dl D', Fig. 2. Thisconstitutes a part, it will be seen, of the process of dovetailing.

Having a hub mortised as above described, we make the tenons of thespokes in dovetail form, as shown at A, Fig. 1, and at A', Fig. 2, withabevel on one side, as at H, Fig. 1, which bevel is made to correspondto the angle of the narrow side of the mortise, which it presses againstwhen in place, and serves the purpose of facilitating the forcing of thetenon to its place in the mortise, and, in connection with the shouldersof the tenon, of preventing the spoke from being forced further into thehub after the Wheel isin use. The side of the mortise which comes incontact with the beveled part of the tenon at H; Fig. 1, serves as aninclined plane to force the tenon firmly against the opposite side ofthe mortise, and, at same time, by reason of the mortise being narrowerat the bottom than at the top, as already desoribed, assists insupportin g the spoke, as stated. i

The tenons of the spokes having been inserted in the hub in the mannerdescribed, it will be seen that a wedge-shaped cavity is formed betweenone of the narrow sides of each mortise and the spoke-tenon opposite.These cavities are then iilled by driving into same tight] y the Woodenwedges, as indicated and shown by the wedge E, Fig. 1, and E', Fig. 2.-This wcdgin g completes the process of dovetailin g.

The tenons and wedges are well glued when inserted in the hub; but, toprevent the wedges from being forced out of place, the metallic band F,Fig. 1, is forced on over the hub close up to the sides of the spokesand covering the ends of the wedges, as shown in the drawing. To preventsaid band from slippiug back on the hub, in case the hub should shrink,several screws are inserted through the band into the hub, as shown atG, Fig. l.

Our invention contemplates the making of wheels with the spokes setstraight in the hub,

as in Fig. 1 of the drawng, or zigza-g, as shown by the drawing, Fig. 2.VVhen set zigzag the mortises are formed so as to leave the cavities forthe wedges on opposite sides of the spokes alternately, as shown indrawin Fig. 2. In this ease two metallic bands are used to hold thewedges in place-one on either side of the spokes, as shown at F F, Fig.2. To prevent any depression of the hub between the hands we raise orenlarge the circumferential surface of that portion of the hub so as tobe fiush with the hands contiguous thereto, as shown at K K, Fig. 2.

A wheel constructed as above descrbed is strong and durable. The tenonsof the spokes are not weakened by too much cutting away, and, beingsecurely dovetailed with the hub, cannot be forced from their places.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire toSecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The spoketenonA, shaped as required in dovetailin g, and with one ofthe narrow sides beveled, as at H, in combination with the mortised hubB, havin g'mortises with the narrow sides opposite the ends of the hubconverging in the direction of the center of the hub, but slantin g orinclinedthe same way, so as to leave a space between one of the saidnarrow sides of each mortise and the spoke-tenon opposite, to permit ofthe insertion of the dovetailing wedge E; all constrneted substantiallyas and E, and metallic ba-nds F, all constrneted and for the purposespeoied. seenred together suhstantially in the manner 2. rl`he Wedg'e Eemployed for the purpose described, and for the purpose set forth. ofcompleting the dovetailing of the spoke- J EROME F. DOWN IN Gr.

tenon A with the mortised hub B, in combina- VVELLINGTON DOWNIN G. tionWith the mortised hub B and metallic hands F,substantia1lyas descrbedand shown. Witn esses:

3. The combination of the spoke-tenon A F. E. JOSSELYN, with themortised hub B, the dovetailingwedge I EDWIN A. SIMONDS.

